How Republicans won: Irrational fears trumped real perils

It was masterful of right-wing manipulators to claim that President Obama was exposing Americans to the Ebola virus by allowing illegals to cross the Mexican border. Obviously false on many levels, this canard may still have aided the Republicans nearly sweep the mid-terms this past Tuesday.

We know that conservatives have especially powerful reactions to frightening and disgusting images. Conflating the disgust and fear-inducing Ebola virus with terrifying hordes of brown people streaming across the border doubled the effectiveness of each phony issue.

The irony of course is that conservative policies have caused or exacerbated real perils confronting large numbers of Americans: Global warming, gun massacres, and poverty come immediately to mind. But democrats couldn’t convert these issues into election victories.

Hi Hal,
Your ‘ole high school & ski bum buddy Griff here…First, I really love this site — haven’t visited before…great job…Down to business — With so many populist ballot issues winning across the states, especially on the pot & minimum wage front, but many of the same states also giving us Conservatives & Tea Tards in the House & Senate….the solution is obvious: There needs to be popular, easy to access site showing the results of every single House & Senate vote……Let The People see who votes against 99% of them time & time again!

Also, as posted on the right — While Tuesday was crushing, I was happy that I donated to Scott Peters’ campaign to regain my former district’s 52nd seat in Congress…he won a tough contest against Tea Tard, uber-Conservative, Koch brothers’ boy — and homosexual if that makes sense — Carl DeMaio who tried to destroy SD city workers’ pensions when he was on the City Council. You may have read or seen on CNN that this DeMaio clown had two staffers come out stating that DeMaio called them (at different times) into his office where he started, how do I say, “jerking his chicken” in front of them. This DeMaio was the same guy accusing Bob Filner of sexual misconduct when he ran against Filner for Mayor of San Diego….

Republicans have spun the downsides of Obamacare to the point that Obama now owns anything that happens bad regarding people’s healthcare. For example, there’s nothing new about premium increases, but now when they happen – even if it is for better coverage – Obama gets the blame. Often the evoked tone of the complainant suggests they have more problems with Obama than just his politics. The situation is particularly unfair because Republicans have blocked all legislation that would address legitimate Obamacare issues that have been identified. Those same partisans then turn around and milk both legitimate and fantasized Obamacare issues to the hilt, insisting that the only acceptable solution is repeal. Obamacare’s support has been further unfairly weakened by the SCOTUS decision that allowed states to opt out of expanding Medicaid, as this mostly affected states with large needy populations, and thus these people now see little reason to give Obamacare their support.

TarSands pipeline: The Republican proposal to bring
the drinking water contamination of fracking to the entire continent.
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Solar & wind energy deserve tax credits. Oil companies make
more money than God without their Republican-sponsored subsidies.
or:
Oil companies make
more money than God without their Republican-sponsored subsidies.
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Net Neutrality: The Democratic Rural Electrification plan of the 21st century.
Don’t let Republicans leave you in the dark.
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On Social Security? Republicans believe a 1.7% “Cost Of Living Adjustment” was too much.
With their proposed “chained-CPI”, the only affordable meal will be catfood.
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The last Bush Presidency ended with an economic “Blue Screen Of Death”.
Dare we risk going back where we came from?
or:
The last Republican Presidency ended with an economic “Blue Screen Of Death”.
Dare we risk going back where we came from?

Hal and John ridiculing the a quest because they don’t agree with him. To bad they didn’t bother to check the veracity of his statements first. They would have saved themselves much embarrassment.

Tariff of Abominations

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“Tariff of 1828” was a protective tariff passed by the Congress of the United States on May 19, 1828, designed to protect industry in the northern United States. It was labeled the Tariff of Abominations by its southern detractors because of the effects it had on the antebellum Southern economy.

The major goal of the tariff was to protect industries in the northern United States which were being driven out of business by low-priced imported goods by taxing them. The South, however, was harmed directly by having to pay higher prices on goods the region did not produce, and indirectly because reducing the exportation of British goods to the U.S. made it difficult for the British to pay for the cotton they imported from the South.[1] The reaction in the South, particularly in South Carolina, would lead to the Nullification Crisis that began in late 1832.[2]

So you were wrong yet again and used that false conclusion to attack someone who clearly knew what they were talking about…and you have the hubris to claim that liberals always have the facts on their side. You and John even hear what you want to here. Your guest clearly said “Net user” of government but you chose to fixate on what he didn’t say and then attacked him on that. And you wonder why you can’t get guests….

I questioned (but did not deny) Del Beccaro’s assertion that the south paid 70% of the tariffs collected in the 19th century. I assume what he meant is that 70% of imported goods (subject to the tariff upon entry into US) were sold in slave states. Neither you nor Del Beccaro has provided any evidence in support of this claim. I have posted interview here.

You’ll probably call this race-baiting Jeff, but what else is it that you liked so much about the basis of the economy on the old Confederate South? Are you upset you being White, you are no longer entitled to have some slaves to do your physical work & perhaps a harem of housekeepers on the side?

It’s all similar to the problem we have with China & the rest of the third world now. Workers in the U.S. that get paid fair living-wage paychecks and that have a social safety net (that includes healthcare & Social Security upon disability or retirement) can’t compete with disposable child/slave labor and the lack of pollution controls. To make things fair, there needs to be compensating tariffs or taxes. Now if we were to do that, and I think we should, I guess you would feel it only right that China would attack & try to take us out.

Beginning ~10yrs ago, Moscow-based Kaspersky Labs tried2 damage rival competitor’s reputations by tricking their programs into classifying benign files as malicious. Per 2 former employees, some such attacks were ordered by

(Wednesday, Dec 13. 2017 12:50 AM)

KL’s co-founder Eugene Kaspersky, in part 2retaliate against rivals who he felt were aping his software rather than dev their own. KL’s engineers would take files like common critical drivers & inject bad code into them so they appeared infected. KL would then upload the doctored files anonymously2 VirusTotal flagging them as infected. Other AV engineers would then visit VT & create signatures that would flag all sim files. This often caused their AV programs 2quarantine perfectly good drivers from ppl’s computers causing system problems. http://goo.gl/fssZ1B

I guess it all boils down2 what 1 believes gives meaning to mankind’s life. To me, man will only have significance if he survives the Darwinian nature of the universe in the long term. In only a billion yrs, r sun will have brightened

(Tuesday, Dec 12. 2017 04:59 AM)

enough2 boil the oceans. If man is 2survive, it will only be cuz of his unique intelligence & ability2 fav reshape his enviro. There is nothing else particularly special about man, espec not his ability 2practice cut-throat Darwinistic behaviors. If the nat Darwinian path led2 immortal life, we would see evidence of an entire universe teaming w/life that has survived the ages. We don’t. So man must uniquely fight against the natural Darwinian order & instead build the strongest poss united society in which all individuals & earth’s life forms thrive.

4 Jeff – 1st of all u wrote that I think gov’t should buy everything 4 everybody. Obviously, that’s false. Now u write that I want gov’t 2 buy baseball tix 4 poor kids. I don’t oppose such legislation but my preference is that the City of Baltimore should condition use of its city by O’s upon an agreement by team 2 distribute free or low-cost tix to poor Baltimoreans.

For Hal – You do think the government should buy tickets to baseball games for the less fortunate. What’s the difference between that and a voucher to a restaurant? The point stands. You think the government has the authority to spend someone else’s money on whatever you deem appropriate.

For jeff linder – not everything. I don’t think the gov’t should provide people with yachts or vouchers to eat at restaurants & not at the expensive others since I would b subject 2 same taxes that I support. But it’s easier 2 attack arguments I don’t make.

The EIC has been much abused. Ppl that dont even work r propositioned by dishonest tax preparers who promise ppl they will get a tax refund if they just pay a fee. Self-Emp_Income is declared & the EIC is requested. By law, IRS pays

(Sunday, Dec 10. 2017 06:56 PM)

refunds quick, & only later it discovers the person never paid SEI taxes. The tax preparer & their fee r long gone; the person now owes IRS back the EIC. Woe 2the person that actually recvd need-based benefits (SSI or welfare) during the tax yr, as IRS records now show they had SEI they didnt declare. So welfare/SSI also want their money back, & usually such persons already at poverty level. This is the type of issue I tried 2expain2 Hal re accurate gas tax refunds. Although computerization slowly making this better, such programs rife w/fraud & bureaucratic messes.

Jeff isnt proposing a true GMI. The “earned income tax credit” he mentions already exists – IF u have low-pay job, then u may get a tax rebate. This also much like current Repub proposals 2req work 2get Medicaid. Prob socially

(Sunday, Dec 10. 2017 02:32 PM)

insulated ppl dont recog is there r many that have educational/mental/physical/economic-based issues such that they cant get/hold a job in today’s economy where workers compete w/3rd world. Sometimes ppl like Jeff will have eyes opened if something really bad happens in their lives. Gen working population is always so surprised how few services there really r when it is they that need help – but even then they often hang on2 dogma: Everybody but them (espec those dark “foreigners”) r cheaters/liars & that’s why there is nothing avail 4them when they need it.

Tweeden’s colleague John Phillips /groomed/ her 2release pic; Tweeden had no idea Phillips & Stone were hard right buddies. Arnold says Sean Hannity had wanted the photo since 2007 but she refused him & that Tweeden never wanted Franken fired. Arnold posted email purportedly showing Stone trying2 whip up story2 gossip columnists even b4 Tweeden story aired, though a pseudonym Russian nm was used & Tom has no proof email was Stone’s doing. DC & US will be vacant if we all r held 2such high stds over entire lifetime. We need Al in the Senate. http://goo.gl/oLWfA3

For halginsberg – The government spends about $1T in means tested programs. That’s about $3K per person. For illustration only:. GMI-Earned Income=Refund. That way there is no cost in benefits to working.

For halginsberg – That’s funny Hal. You think it’s someone else’s duty to spend money on things you think are important. I think you should spend your money on what you think is important. Re GMI it’s a workable solution as a replacement for all welfare programs.

For halginsberg – It’s not the federal government’s business to ensure all citizens have health care, a roof over their heads and a warm place to sleep Hal. If you know someone like in dire need why aren’t you helping them?
And yes, I support a guaranteed income.

For jeff linder – I asked u earlier how u propose to ensure all citizens have health care, a roof over their heads, and a warm place to sleep. I think u support a guaranteed minimum income. Is that correct?